Everyone's a DJ! Tommy Lee controls the crowd
(Credit: Drew Ressler)
On February 2, after months of soft openings and plenty of word of mouth, Crash Mansion L.A. finally celebrates its grand opening, officially becoming the coolest mansion in America since “Silver Spoons.”
After several years of success in New York City, with headliners like Beyoncé, Usher and Norah Jones, Crash Mansion L.A. is finally taking the West Coast by a storm, one sweaty L.A. clubber at a time. Here's a downtown rock venue that really likes to think big: 4,000 square feet of giant stages custom-designed for kick-ass live acts and DJ sets; five bars; an oversize balcony and a mind-numbing 1,200-person capacity.
However, a recent, deadly incident at the club that started with a stabbing on the dancefloor and ended with a shoot-out in the parking lot has understandably put a damper on the festivities, though it's still too early to know exactly what impact this act of violence will have on Crash Mansion L.A.'s upcoming offical launch.
Since opening in mid-2007, Crash Mansion has wowed Downtown's loft-dwelling crowd with its weekly club nights, thanks in part to its massive dance space and state-of-the-art music system. Sure rockers like Tommy Lee have been partying and DJing here for months, but now Crash Mansion is itching to become a major live-music venue, and has begun booking national acts like Boys II Men and The Donnas. The goal: to book three national acts a week, adding a much-needed jolt of guitar worship (and ear damage) to the Downtown L.A. nightlife scene.
Music buffs might remember the current Crash Mansion space as the old Myron's Ballroom, which Joy Division super-fans (are there any other kind?) will recall as one of the first stops on their unrealized U.S. tour. Now, local artists will display their work in the space, with exhibits rotating about once a month. And since "The Mansion" is FIDM-adjacent, you can expect plenty of fashion shows and design-related events.
This self-proclaimed “industrial chic” music venue and nightspot (and restaurant and art gallery and...) hopes to fill out its roster with a slew of weekly events, from "Soled Out" to "Get Low," a popular weekly 18+ night. "Lunchbox" Saturday nights feature special guests like Bobby Brown, The Roots' drummer ?uestLove, Q-Tip and more. You never know who’s going to show up.
Rock shows, art shows, fashion shows... Looks like mansions are cool again. Just ask Ricky Schroeder.
Click here for Crash Mansion L.A.'s address, phone number and website.
Amir Kenan is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
